Dear PoPville

“To Remove Burglar Bars or Not?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by brunofish

“Dear PoPville,

I live in a two unit condo rowhouse in Shaw, and our front door to the building has a locking burglar bar gate in front of a wooden front door frame with two panes of glass. There’s a tiny foyer with the entrance to one unit on one side, and a flight of stair going up to the second unit.

We’re discussing removing the burglar bars for aesthetics and potentially replacing the glass door with a wooden door. My neighbor has concerns that by removing the burglar bars, the building becomes more of a target for thieves who would smash in the glass to let themselves into the foyer, but they would still have to break down deadbolted exterior doors to each unit. (more…)

“My firm has said go in or I am fired.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Rush Hour photo from 15th and G Street, NW by Elizabeth O’Connell

“Dear PoPville,

I have seen posts about when people will return to the workplace, but I would like to hear from those who have already returned.

My client wants me back in the office full time. The Agency remains at maximum-telework. I have asthma (client is aware). The Contract Manager has advocated for us to only go in 1 day per week. Now my entire team must go in 4 days per week.

Our open-space office has many maskless employees crowding the walkways and elevators. I have been asked to remove my mask at my desk. My firm has said go in or I am fired. My boss has outright stated they believe “COVID is overhyped and may not be real”. I am not sure I have any further recourse. Any advice for staying COVID-free?”

“Does anyone have experience with having alterations done since the pandemic started?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Joseph Leonardo

“Dear PoPville,

I’ve snagged a few suits on sale in the past few months. I don’t know when I’ll wear them again, but I do know I need them tailored.

Does anyone have experience with having alterations done since the pandemic started? Do you have a place you could recommend? Is this something tailors are even doing right now? I don’t relish the idea of going in for an alteration, but if there are good protocols for mitigation, I could feel comfortable.

What experiences have you had?”

“It’s concerning from a public health perspective, but more so extremely frustrating that our building cares so little about community safety.”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I need help with my apartment building. I live in Senate Square, and I’m at my wit’s end. The compliance with distancing and parties has been getting increasingly bad in our complex. However, the worst is the fact that a unit down the hall has been getting rented out on Airbnb for the entirety of the pandemic. Several times, it’s been the site of large (30+ people) parties, no distancing or masks, tons of loud music, people partying in the halls, yada. Other residents have held similarly-sized, loud parties on the roof. (more…)

“Pepco power fluctuations?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I live on 7th&F, not far from H St Whole Foods. In NE DC we have been facing days of power fluctuations. 5+ times a day the electricity goes out. It’s only for a second, but enough to reset the internet, which is not ideal in this era of Work From Home zoom meetings. Pretty awkward to get kicked out of work calls in the middle of a presentation. My neighbors and I have been calling Pepco, but this continues. (2 cases already today). Thought I would reach out to the PoPville community – have others been experiencing this? Any suggestions?

Update: Just had our 3rd outage of the morning…”

Wondering about the Lamond-Riggs neighborhood – Seven Years Later

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

My family is looking to buy our first home in DC and as with most DC-related research, I always check your site. Luckily for me, I found a post on your website from 7 years ago about the Lamond-Riggs area. Now 7 years later, I wonder if there’s been any major changes to the neighborhood in terms of safety, walkability, schools, and things to do. A revisit 7 years later would be super appreciated! Thanks so much!”

“Craigslist Rental Head Scratchers”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Joanna Hiatt Kim

Ed. Note: If it seems too good to be true, especially on Craiglist, it is 99% a scam. I can’t tell you how many houses I see for $600/month when looking for my daily rental picks…

“Dear PoPville,

I finally started exploring the renting portion of Craiglist and have come across something that seems pretty sketchy. I’ve reached out to two properties that seem too good to be true but just on the line – $1650 – $1700 for spacious one bedrooms – and recognized similar behavior between the two.

The properties had two different “unit managers” but both started by asking for my real email, sending me apartment information in a separate thread, and then sending the following message: (more…)

“What have people’s experiences been in terms of outdoor furniture?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by fromcaliw/love

“Dear PoPville,

I recently started planning for some renovations to my patio space. I live in a ground floor condo in NW, with a small but nice outdoor space. Up until now, I’ve been using cheap plastic patio furniture, but since I’m doing an upgrade to paving and various other elements, I figured perhaps an upgrade in the furniture was also due. Here is my concern: (more…)

Outdoor/Porch Heaters?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Mr.TinDC

“Dear PoPville,

As cooler weather approaches, I was wondering if people knew of some safe and legal ways to heat a front porch. Hanging out with my pod of friends outside has really helped maintain my sanity during quarantine, and I’m hoping to be able to do that as long as possible.”

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